Midgar, Gaia -- Friday Afternoon

[intraspective]

Truly, she had the best boyfriend in the world.

One who’d taken a long considering glance at the fact that she’d been in a truly hideous mood since Tuesday and added to it what was going on around the island and had decided that, really, they didn’t have to stay on the island…

Which would be why Ino was currently balancing, on one foot, while reading a newsletter about the music scene, on the edge of the fountain in the middle of Sector Eight. Whatever was—in the air—in Fandom wasn’t entirely gone, being here, but it definitely was better.

And when Zack got back from getting them hot chocolates that’d be even better.

But seriously, already she felt less like kicking people where it would really desperately hurt them.

[For the modded with permission one, la!]

Comments

[puppy_fair]

Hey! Who was that, with hot chocolates in his hand, making his way to the fountain and humming a Gaian love song under his breath?

Uh, duh.

"Extra whipped cream, right?"

Or, rather, mostly whipped cream. Zack knew his girlfriend, thank you.

[intraspective]

"Maybe," she said lightly, peering over the edge of her newsletter and pivoting neatly to better do so. "What's yours like?"

[puppy_fair]

"Mostly chocolate," Zack admitted, peering into his cup. "And they put peppermint on the top."

Because he totally needed all of that sugar, yes.

[intraspective]

Hmmm.

Ino thought about that for a moment before hopping off the edge. "Whipped cream, please?"

[puppy_fair]

"Whipped cream it is," Zack chirped, holding the cup out toward her. "Careful, the bottom of the cup is hot!"

Because that was the only part of the cup that had hocho in it, yes.

[intraspective]

"I can be careful," she protested automatically, reaching for her cup. "I won't burn myself!"

[puppy_fair]

"Well, if you're suuuuuure." See, now he was just enjoying being a dweeb. A dweeb who was sorely tempted to hold the cup up above her head. But, well, considering the way the week had been... "If you want more, just let me know. The place is just around the corner, and it's a fun little jog from here."

He pulled the tab from the top of his own drink, and then took a seat on the edge of the fountain.

"ShinRa will be bringing another tree into the city soon, too," he noted, thoughtfully.

[intraspective]

She sat down and snuggled close to him.

"This will do for now," she said, smiling slightly. "And--that's right, huh? Kinda crazy how fast time has gone by."

[puppy_fair]

"It doesn't feel like it's been a whole year yet," he noted, leaning sideways and snuggling right on back. "But it kinda feels like it's been way longer, too. I don't get how that works."

[intraspective]

"Magic," she said, pulling the lid off her drink entirely.

So she could lick the whipped cream. Shut up.

"A lot's happened, though--maybe that's it?"

[puppy_fair]

Zack nodded a little, setting his cup down on the side of the fountain nearby.

"That must be it," he agreed. "There was so much going on, there wasn't any time to really get bored or anything. But it was so much... that it was kind of like too much, for just one year."

[intraspective]

Ino studied her drink thoughtfully.

"Maybe," she said, "maybe that's how most years are supposed to be, from now on? This coming year probably won't be much different."

[puppy_fair]

The corner of Zack's mouth twitched a little, at that.

"You think so?"

He really wasn't looking forward to killing any more people he cared for dearly, if that was the case.

[intraspective]

Ino's breath caught in her throat as she realized what she'd said.

"Not exactly like," she said quickly, earnestly. Peering up at him, blue eyes wide. "But busy. Lots of changes."

[puppy_fair]

Zack just gave one of those little dismissive shrugs of his, and reached to pick up his hot chocolate again.

"I know what you meant, Ino," he replied, offering her a smile that was on the sad side of wan. "Changes are good, anyhow. Maybe ShinRa will start giving me work again. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Actual work, that he didn't have to beg for or anything?

[intraspective]

She sighed and glanced up at the pollution covering the sky.

It wasn't the same.

"I'll hope so," she said, though those hadn't been the changes she'd meant, exactly. "for your sake."

[puppy_fair]

Change was... one of those things that Zack tried not to think about too hard, generally. Things were the way things were, unless they were awful, and then they had to get better.

Fixing things as they came... That wasn't what Zack considered change. Not when it was his first time through it all.

"We'll make it work," he decided, anyhow.

[intraspective]

Ino leaned into him.

"Even with graduation?"

... It was months too early for this conversation, Ino. What are you doing?

[puppy_fair]

"Even with graduation," Zack agreed, in a kind of crooked little tone that suggested that the prospect of graduation... kind of worried the heck out of him, if things kept going the way they did.

No work. No work and no school?

"We have plenty of time."

[intraspective]

"Not if it keeps going this fast," she sighed, again. "I envy you there."

At least he knew what he was doing after graduation. She was... still up in the air.

[puppy_fair]

Yeah, Zack would still be a SOLDIER after graduation, after all.

But at the rate things were going, he'd be a SOLDIER without any soldiering to be done. What good was that?

"Hey, if this last year was any indication, anything can happen right out of the blue, right?"

[intraspective]

"I don't like being caught off-guard," she grumbled, but half-heartedly. "Unless it involves chocolate and kisses and snuggles."

[puppy_fair]

That, at least, got a grin out of Zack.

"Well, we've got chocolate and snuggles going on already," he observed.

Naturally, this meant that he was going to have to lean in just a little more, for a kiss.

[intraspective]

Alright, she could resist that, truly.

Part of her wanted to, just because she was pissed about the island messing them over.

But a greater part of her just wanted to kiss him, so she did.

"Three for three," she murmured. "Think we got a winner?"

[puppy_fair]

He straightened up a little after the kiss, grinning like the cat that got the canary. Mmm, kisses made everything better!

"I think we've totally got a winner," Zack agreed, "even if you probably weren't surprised by any of it, so much."

[intraspective]

She shook her head, turning her head to study the people in the square.

"Not really," she admitted. "Is that so very bad?"

[puppy_fair]

"It's only bad if you didn't enjoy it," Zack decided. "If you didn't, I guess I'm going to have to try again, and do it all better."

[intraspective]

Ino pursed her lips.

"...Can I lie, then?"

[puppy_fair]

... Zack couldn't help it. He had to laugh.

"If you really want to!"